Religious hate crimes in the UK: Insights from the 2022-2023 official statistics

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Religious hate crimes in the UK: Insights from the 2022-2023 official statistics

Our analyst Muhammad Faisal Khalil reports on rising religious hate crimes in the UK, emphasising the need for immediate community action and support.

This weekly comment was written by Muhammad Faisal Khalil and reflects his personal analyses and opinions, rather than those of EARS.

Religious hate crimes are emerging as a critical issue within the UK, affecting public safety and community wellbeing. The ‘Hate Crime, England and Wales, 2022-2023’ report published by the Home Office in October 2023 reveals an alarming increase in these incidents, contrasting with a general decrease in overall crime.^[1]

The rise in religious hate crimes

The pattern of hate crimes in England and Wales is unsettling, particularly concerning religious hate crimes. Even though overall hate crime incidents decreased for the first time in a decade, religious hate crimes experienced a 9% rise. An unprecedented 9,387 religious hate crimes were reported by March 2023, a striking figure given the broader decline in other categories of hate crime.^[2] Certain religious groups are markedly vulnerable, with Muslims 39% and Jews 17% of the religious hate crime victims, followed by Christians at 7%, and Hindus and Sikhs at 3% each.^[3]

Alarmingly, these statistics reveal a disproportionate number of hate crimes against Jews, who constitute less than 1% of the UK population but are victims of one in six religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes against Jews fell slightly, yet the community was still disproportionately targeted.^[4] The report indicated a drop from a record high of 1,919 in the year ending March 2022 to 1,596 in March 2023, which is still substantially higher than the figures recorded in 2017/2018.^[5] These statistics confirm the need for targeted measures to protect Jewish communities and other vulnerable religious groups.

Ethnicity and environment

The Home Office report also highlighted how religious hate crimes intersected with ethnicity and social environment. In terms of ethnicity, black and Asian individuals are often disproportionately targeted in religious hate crimes, blurring the lines between religious and racial hate.^[6] Such data calls for prompt, customised countermeasures against Islamophobia, antisemitism, and xenophobic sentiments. The report observed that the environment fostering these crimes extends beyond physical violence, creating a climate of fear, unease, or shock, especially considering the frequency of public order offences.^[7] The intersection of religious hate crimes with ethnicity and environment likely stems from a mix of international tensions influencing local attitudes, online platforms that magnify hate speech, intra-community conflicts, entrenched social prejudice, and powerful figures exploiting religious differences for various gains.^[8]

Better recording practices?

Better recognition and classification of religious hate crimes partly explain the increased figures. Improved public awareness and confidence in the police may have encouraged reporting. Still, the statistics likely represent only part of the actual picture, suggesting a wider, previously hidden problem. Nonetheless, with just 7% of hate crime cases leading to charges or summons, there appears to be a significant systemic lapse in addressing these crimes, potentially undermining trust among the affected communities. Becca Rosenthal, national hate crime lead at Victim Support, explained, “Those we support increasingly tell us that they are reluctant to approach the police, so these figures could simply reflect fewer people reporting to the police. Given this, independent support services for victims have never been more important.”^[9]

Communities react

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) expressed profound alarm at these statistics, particularly the consistent vulnerability of Muslims to religiously motivated hate crime offences. The Secretary-General of the MCB, Zara Mohammed, highlighted the role of divisive rhetoric and Islamophobia, stating, “Though alarming, the figures are unsurprising. In recent days, we have borne witness to highly divisive rhetoric dominating political discourse which has a devastating impact on the lives and lived experience of British Muslims.”^[10] The MCB urged the government to tackle Islamophobia decisively, suggesting that the normalisation of anti-Muslim sentiment across various sectors only exacerbates these issues.

Healing social fractures

The surge in religious hate crimes calls for an intricate but all-encompassing strategy. Understanding the statistics is merely the initial phase: a committed effort to grasp these crimes’ deep-seated reasons and distinct characteristics is crucial. These figures underline the urgency of healing social fractures leading to religious hate crimes. The UK’s approach should be inclusive, combining legal, community-centred, educational, and police measures to ensure the dignity and safety of all religious groups. Efforts against hate crime are not just for the authorities; these require compassion, dedication, and unified action across all of society.

This weekly comment was written by Muhammad Faisal Khalil and reflects his personal analyses and opinions, rather than those of EARS.

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